F1 results: Max Verstappen easily erases five-place grid penalty, wins Belgian Grand Prix ahead of Sergio Perez, Charles Leclerc

Belgian Grand Prix results

1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

2. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

3. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari

4. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes

5. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes

6. George Russell (63), Mercedes

7. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes

8. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault

9. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes

10. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

11. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault

12. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

13. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

14. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

15. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari

16. Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

17. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes

18. Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari

Not classified:
Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes
Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix TV/streaming schedule

All times Eastern

Friday
7:25 - 8:30 a.m.: Free practice 1 (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
10:55 a.m. - Noon: Qualifying (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)

Saturday
6:25 - 7:30 a.m.: Sprint shootout (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)
10:25 - 11:30 a.m.: Sprint (ESPN2, F1 TV Pro)

Sunday
7:30 - 8:55 a.m.: Pre-race show (ESPN)
8:55 - 11 a.m.: Belgian Grand Prix (ESPN, F1 TV Pro)

Belgian Grand Prix details

Track: Circuit Spa-Francorchamps (Spa, Belgium), 19-turn, 4.35-mile permanent racing facility
Race length: 44 laps for 191.4 miles
Lap record: 1:46.286
Tire compounds: C2 (Hard), C3 (Medium), C4 (Hard)
2022 winner: Max Verstappen, Red Bull-RBPT

Verstappen gets five-place grid drop

Max Verstappen's Red Bull-RBPT is taking on a fifth gearbox of the season and, since only four are allowed per season, he will be penalized by five grid spots for Sunday's Belgian Grand Prix. The gearbox is part of a list of limited components teams are able to use throughout a season along with power unit and engine parts. The two-time reigning and event champion will start from P6 after coming in first in qualifying.

Belgian Grand Prix starting grid

1. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari

2. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

3. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes

4. Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari

5. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes

6. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

7. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes

8. George Russell (63), Mercedes

9. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes

10. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes

11. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

12. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault

13. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari

14. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

15. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault

16. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

17. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

18. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes

19. Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

20. Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari

Belgian Grand Prix sprint results

1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

2. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes

3. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault

4. Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari

5. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari

6. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes

7. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes

8. George Russell (63), Mercedes

9. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault

10. Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

11. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes

12. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes

13. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

14. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari

15. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari

16. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes

17. Nico Hulkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari

18. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT

19. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT

20. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes

Top drivers and best bets for the Belgian Grand Prix

Verstappen – as he will for the rest of the season – opens with an absurd advantage in the odds, with a -350 moneyline going into the weekend, while no other driver is better than 10-to-1 according to BetMGM. Keep betting him even if you have to risk more until he starts not to pay out.

Best odds to win
• Max Verstappen -350
• Lando Norris +1000
• Lewis Hamilton +1200

Yahoo Sports’ Nick Brombergwrote earlier in the week on other wagers he’s eying for the weekend, including Verstappen and Norris finishing on the podium (+100) and both Aston Martin drivers to finish in the points (+175). Verstappen is imperious in the wet, while Norris is on a great run of form with back-to-back P2 finishes. As for Aston Martin, Fernando Alonso has bagged six podiums in 11 races so far, while teammate Lance Stroll has an average finish of P10 in races he’s finished for the team at Spa.

Sprint weekend format returns

In 2021, F1 introduced the Sprint weekend format, which moved traditional qualifying to Friday and put in its place a shortened race that would award minimal points and set the grid for Sunday’s Grand Prix. A few nominal tweaks later, we have our current format for the 2023 season, which effectively makes Saturday more like an exhibition. This weekend marks the third of six sprint format weekends in 2023.

The format change ditches the lame-duck Saturday morning practice session in favor of a quicker version of the traditional three-stage knockout qualifying format to set the grid for the sprint race later in the day. The top eight finishers of the sprint will be awarded points in descending order (eight for P1, seven for P2, six for P3, etc.).

F1 world drivers’ championship standings

1. Max Verstappen (1), Red Bull-Honda RBPT - 281
2. Sergio Perez (11), Red Bull-Honda RBPT - 171
3. Fernando Alonso (14), Aston Martin-Mercedes - 139
4. Lewis Hamilton (44), Mercedes - 133
5. George Russell (63), Mercedes - 90
6. Carlos Sainz (55), Ferrari - 87
7. Charles Leclerc (16), Ferrari - 80
8. Lando Norris (4), McLaren-Mercedes - 60
9. Lance Stroll (18), Aston Martin-Mercedes - 45
10. Esteban Ocon (31), Alpine-Renault - 31
11. Oscar Piastri (81), McLaren-Mercedes - 27
12. Pierre Gasly (10), Alpine-Renault - 16
13. Alexander Albon (23), Williams-Mercedes - 11
14. Nico Hülkenberg, (27), Haas-Ferrari - 9
15. Valtteri Bottas (77), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari - 5
16. Zhou Guanyu (24), Alfa Romeo-Ferrari - 4
17. Yuki Tsunoda (22), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT - 2
18. Kevin Magnussen (20), Haas-Ferrari - 2
19. Logan Sargeant (2), Williams-Mercedes - 0
20. Daniel Ricciardo (3), AlphaTauri-Honda RBPT - 0

Belgian Grand Prix weather

Expect delays or cancellations. The forecast calls for hot, humid conditions with more than a 51 percent chance of precipitation for all three days. The nastiest weather is expected for Friday’s practice and grand prix qualifying sessions which could mix up the middle of the grid, but Verstappen, Hamilton and Norris are all strong wet-weather drivers and typically run very well at Spa, so temper expectations at the top.

Visibility both on track and in the air could severely alter the weekend schedule. With Spa’s deadly history, including the recent death of Dilano van 't Hoff after a crash in heavy rain, drivers are already pushing for more caution this weekend. Alternatively, if visibility in the skies hampers the ability for medical response helicopters to take off and land, that, too, could force race stewards’ hands in delaying or canceling on-track running.

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